Partitioned cigarette case with spring operated closures



E. A. LEMiRE Sept. 11, 1951 PARTITIONED CIGARETTE CASE WITH SPRING OPERATED CLOSURES Filed NOV. 12, 1946 iNVE-ZNTOR Edwin A.Lem1.2 e

8% ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1951 em J m trtrronnntcrommrp C'A'SE'WITH SPRING'QPERATED L0 SIURES ifEdwi'n-A. L'mire, 'Providenceilt. I.

.' ApplieatidiLNovember 12:1946'; lSelialN6'r -709J44 s' ioiaims.

' 'The rpresntinvention'"'relatesto: a container and it particularly relates'to a oigarette eonetainer.

filthough the"container may be Madeot *wdod ori die cast aluminum ormagriiasimrifth invenwv tioE iixill-b described application tweentainers-"of moldedg-c'ast; or machined, transparent ror opaque "plastic and *resinous' materials.

It is'amon'g the objects of the "present-r invention: to provide a'iTlflVel'; attractive?Tight-weight, compactrcigarette- -container with" h ighicapacity ot molded plastic; wh'ich may-be *iafiily manufactured*from inexpensive-"molds: whichwill lfave -i'ew parts and be readily assembled, and which 'may be used:-'for long -=-periods 'withoutwreaking 1301* malfunction.

I Still fiirther"-objeets aind advantages will ap- 'pear' in the -more deta-ilecl description se forth below,' it being 'u'ndersto'odi --'however?'--tliat this more -detailed desori-ption is given-by way 'of illustration and explanation only ahd ndt byway "or limitation,- "since" various ehanges may be made "by those-skilledk-iri.the arfiwithuvdepa'rting from the: scope and-spiritdfthe'present invention.

In ac'complish-ing the above obiectsit hasib'een found'-mostsatisfactory;"to provide a b'ase'eonetainerrorreoeiver with split' swinging cove1"*elei rments' 'hlnge'dly mounted on l the side=thero T" The--'cov er 'elementsrare moved apart to open the -"itainer by-mean's" of reciprocal partition members shaving resilient s'or spring actuatory elements i inounted' inrecesses therein.

T the drawings" whicl'i sliowtan mliodimnt of i As shownjthe container has the "bottom wan ""lflfthe sidewalls ll'and'theend walls I2..TThe "co'vei elements B *haveth side walls" I3',.the 'end walls HI and the top walls I 5.

The top' walls I5 int'eriorly are providewwith the notches orrecessesi 5 which formthel'ocking teeth I I. ""The'teeth" I I "engage the notch" I8? in the upperend' of the reciprocatory wan C.

The s'winging elements B have 'hingeexten- .10 sions or lugsIB which fit into the 'recessesfl in "the top edges of the walls I I. "The hingepins 21" are inserted from the sides asindicatedbest Fig. 1. Q

The wall c slides in a groovei or 'channel 22in one of the'wall's I I Iof the container, A and it also "hasan extension ziiat'the oppositesid thereof projecting through "and beyond a slot""24' in the wall II. The edge of the "extension23'isf'serrated or transversely grooved"at"25"toafidrd va finger "actuatingportion.

"The wall C-has abottonr'recess"26"reeeiving a'-eoil"spring Dwhich' reacts-againstthe bottom wall" IIlof'the 'container' A. "'Ihe-sides ofethe wan 'are rec'essed at 2 8 "toreceive thebentwire lea-"springs" 'TlieSesprings" E have intur'ned 'botswinging lclosure mr'nberS'llB'f B arelshown-v of V rectangular shape, but? they. may be- 'ofobther shapes."They are preferably molded "of a synthetic or natural pla'stic 'or resinous material of transparent, translucent or-opaque nature. .The

'wicontainer elements Ira-and: Bnmay alsorlless detrsirably-s-be made of metal orrwood.

i The-central reciprocatory partition structure (1 miniconjunction with the springs D andE serves to lock the closures B, B in the closed position of Fig. 2 or to swing them into the open position of Fig. 4 when the lock is released;

whichwxtendoutover the lower-side; wane-"1a ""a's showndnfFig; 4 wher'iin' operiedposition.

In*as seinbly", thecontainer'element A, the cover ""el'ements B andfthe-wallelement Gare desirably allin'oldedof j'vinylite; a.crylic,'styrene;'aminojplas t orc ellulosic'resinous' or plastic material of opaque or" transparent character. The *lug's' I 9 v and freeesses" 5, TI 8; zll-fiand 28' "are"'preferbly moldedintotl' 'e. elements A) Band C. The recess m4 psa ms-when be drilled? h'ole's'for' the pivot "pinea and the holes for the -inturne'd ends""29 {To'fthe springs E maylals'o be drilled.

.I n assemhly 'o'f the partitionlD, the, spring D .is inserted in" the recess ZB 'and the partition'IC Q, is.inserted inl the slot'22.""Thepartition C has vran enlargementrorvextension'Lfill (see Figs; 2 and [3) below the recesses'za which is received in said Lslot :22.' There. iss'iiificient'pl-ay or looseness-to -enable'hthe portion to be pressed downwardly 5 inside'of the Wall H ur'i til it snaps-into'thslo't' z l. flhescover elements B may then beassembled viin'fithe casing Aa y -the' pins" 2|. The partition 0 with springsE and D in position maytliehbe assembled with casing A.

In operation, pressing down on the element 25 engage the notch l8.

when the container A is closed as shown in Figs.

' l and 2, will release teeth I! from notch 1'8. The

ends 32 Qty the springs D will then :throw the cover elements B outwardly and downwardly to the position of Figs. 3 and 4.

The cigarettes, ten or twenty in number, which 4 rows of cigarettes uprightly, a central reciprocatory vertical partition positioned so that the plane-will extend transversely ,to the long horizontal dimension of the holder, twoangular lid members pivotally mounted on the longer edges of said holder, the inside side edges of said lid are stacked vertically in the casing A, end 1113,,

may then be most readily removed.

In closing the container A, the cover elements B are pressed back, and when the teeth I! strike the top of the partition C, they will press it downwardly against the spring D, until the teeth move the partition C up to position of Fig. 2 locking the container sections B in position.

When only a small number of cigarettes are in the container they tend to fall to the side as indicated at 52 in Fig. 5 and to be clamped be- -tween the edges of the side walls M of the cover elements IS.

The camming edges 5! will then contact the cigarette 52 and move it back .into the container before the walls I4 contact.

The container is inexpensive, attractive, of light weight and readily handled by man or woman. As many changes could be made in the above container and many. apparently widel different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope-of the claims,

it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: 1. A cigarette case having a fiat deep rectangu lar receiver for holding two layers of cigarettes in vertical side by side position, a reciprocable vertical partition fitted into said receiver,-said receiver having a vertical groove in one interior wall thereof to receive and guide one vertical edge of the partition and a vertical slot in the other wallthereof to receive a ridged finger-engaging extension projecting outwardly from the other vertical edge of the partition and split cover elements of rectangular shape hingedly. mounted on the -side walls of said receiver, said-cover elementshavingteeth adjacent the inside edges thereof and said partition having a notch at its upper edge to engage said teeth and latch said cover elements together in closed position, said. partition having a, coil spring at its bottom edge to react against the bottom of thereceiver and bias the partition upwardly and wire springs received in recesses in-.its side edges to press said cover elements outwardly. and downwardly.

2. A cigarette casing comprising, a relatively deep rectangular holder to carry two parallel rows of cigarettes uprightly, a central reciprocatory vertical partition positioned so that the plane will extend transversely to-the long vhorizontal dimension, of the holder, two angular lid members pivotally .mounted on the longer edges of said holder, said casing having a vertical vgroove at one side to receive said partition and having a slot at the other side, said partition having an actuator member projecting through said .slot and said vertical partition having side recesses carrying spring members to bias said lid members outwardly as the partition rises and .having a bottom recess to receive a coil spring to bias said partition upwardly.

3. A cigarette casing comprisinga relatively I deep rectangular holder to carry two parallel Then the spring l8 will"- said partition upwardly.

members being beveled to cam the cigarettes in- 'wardly, said casing having a vertical groove at one side to receive said partition and having a slot at the :other side, said partition having an actuator member projecting through said slot and said vertical partition having side recesses carryin spring members to bias said lid mem bers outwardly as the'gpartition rises and having a bottom recess to receive a coil spring .to bias 4. A cigarette casing comprising a relatively deep rectangular holder to carry two parallel .rows of-cigarettes uprightly, a central reciprocatory verticalpartition positioned so that-the plane will extend transversely to the-long-horizontal dimension of the holder, two angular-lid members pivotally mounted on the longer edges of-said holder, said lid members and said partition. having interengaging notches and =;teeth to latch the lid members in closed position, said casing having a vertical groove at one side to re ceive saidpartition and having a slot at the other side, said partition having an actuator member projecting through said slot and said vertical partition having side recesses carrying spring members to bias said lid members outwardly as the partition rises and having a bottom recess to receive a coil spring to bias said partition upwardly.

5. A cigarette casing comprising a relatively deep rectangular holder to carry two parallel rows of cigarettes uprightly, a central reciprocatory vertical partition positioned so that the plane will extend transversely to the long horizontaldimension ofthe: holder, two angular lid members pivotally mounted on the longer edges of said holder, said casing having a vertical groove at one side to receivesaid partition and having a slot at the other'side, .sa-id partition having, an actuator memberprojecting through said slot and said vertical partitionhavin side recessescarrying-spring members to bias said lid members outwardly as the partition rises and having a bottom recess to receive a coil spring to bias said partition upwardly.

, The-.following references are of recordin the I AQLEMIREQ" EFERENC S CITED;

file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES 'PATENfIS 

